Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits:

it's fun to be interested in, and excited about, both the Phantoms and the Flyers

Awesome seems Patrick is closer than we all thought. I bet we see him in the Dallas game. He's been skating and stuff so I don't think it will take him long to get into a game. Might as well ease him in with limited minutes unless he's good to go. Pitlick got better very quick and missed training camp. Though I have no idea what Patrick did over the summer but I'm assuming he participated in a decent workout schedule.

Did Welinski go on the road trip?

Did Welinski go on the road trip?
- Feanor

I think everyone who skated yesterday is going.

Carter Hart now has the best SV% of any Flyers goalie since the 04-05 lockout.

http://www.nhl.com/stats/...ayed,gte,10&sort=savePctg

Bill if you could put a number on it. Would you say it is less than 50/50 that the Flyers sign Laczynski to an ELC?

Going to the phantoms tonight as well. It’ll be my daughter’s first game so hopefully we kick it off with a win.

Bill if you could put a number on it. Would you say it is less than 50/50 that the Flyers sign Laczynski to an ELC?
- Djapana

I'd say it's 60-40 that they do get him signed. Most scouts project him as a bottom-six forward at the NHL level. To have to wait until Aug. 15, 2020, to become a UFA by which point teams have formulated their NHL roster plans for the most part and the non-slide contracts get pretty tight, he'd have to have a really strong senior year and feel confident he'd get an ELC somewhere he'd fit into NHL plan in the near term.

If not, he's better off signing with the Flyers after his collegiate season, burning an ELC year as part of the agreement, then going into the offseason with a plan in mind to compete in camp. If Bunnaman and Twarynski could win opening night jobs out of camp, Laczynski could, too.

Carter Hart now has the best SV% of any Flyers goalie since the 04-05 lockout.

http://www.nhl.com/stats/...ayed,gte,10&sort=savePctg
- Feanor

Tied with Mason (who did it over a much bigger sample size), but yes. Hart is capable, with good D in front of him, of being a north of 92 percent guy, which is pretty much today's gold standard of being a full notch above the general recent leaguewide average of about .915

Can you address why there seems to be such an anti-Patrick vibe from AV and Fletcher? Is it just that they don't get/understand the condition? Or is it an inherited project player? I am still of the opinion that Patrick's potential Upside has not been reached. I get the feeling that there are those in the organization who want to trade him and move on....what do you think?

^^ Where are you seeing an anti-Patrick vibe? Just wondering if there are specific quotes you are referring to?

Any update on Voracek? That spill into the boards and him being slow to get up had me worried. I know he finished the game, but he could have gutted it out. Hope he is good to go.

Can you address why there seems to be such an anti-Patrick vibe from AV and Fletcher?
- wbon22

Bill- is the plan to keep Stewart around until the injury picture clears up. Seems like the guy’s in limbo.

Any update on Voracek? That spill into the boards and him being slow to get up had me worried. I know he finished the game, but he could have gutted it out. Hope he is good to go.
- bmoreflyer

When he was back at the bench, he waved off Jim McCrossin. So I think he's OK. There was no practice yesterday.

Bill- is the plan to keep Stewart around until the injury picture clears up. Seems like the guy’s in limbo.
- BroadSTmayhem

Seems to be the plan right now.

Can you address why there seems to be such an anti-Patrick vibe from AV and Fletcher? Is it just that they don't get/understand the condition? Or is it an inherited project player? I am still of the opinion that Patrick's potential Upside has not been reached. I get the feeling that there are those in the organization who want to trade him and move on....what do you think?
- wbon22

I don't get that vibe at all. Acquiring Hayes was so that the team had another proven two-way center, but also as a means of taking some pressure off Patrick and getting him into potentially favorable matchups (as he was last year when Giroux moved back to center, and Patrick had that run of five goals and 12 points in 13 games.

When he was back at the bench, he waved off Jim McCrossin. So I think he's OK. There was no practice yesterday.
- bmeltzer

Thanks Bill!

Hagg has played well, but do you think there is a chance Morin will dress in the Edmonton or calgary game? Both teams have some big bodies.

I don't feel their is ever a reason to have those two in the same game unless their is an injury to one of the other 5 defensemen.

Watching Behind the Glass E3 I just realized that Twarynski is now challenging Laughton for lead in "looks like he could be a serial killer" ranking.

Both look like they are from Whoville in the Grinch movie.

Bill,

I ask this not to bash or disparage Nolan Patrick, but what do you think about his prospects this summer? What point total (or points per game if he doesn't play the entire season) does he need to reach so that the Flyers resign him? For example if he's still in the 30-40 point range, is it worth resigning him and forcing Frost to switch positions? If he's in the 50+ range, then can the Flyers even afford to keep him based on how much he'd want as an RFA, compared to what they could get in a trade for him. You would think with Coots and Hayes signed long term, Frost could be the 3C and Patrick's RFA rights are traded this summer. Also with how much cap space his next deal could require and the amount of players needed to be protected in the expansion draft, Patrick seems the most logical to be moved for picks/younger players who won't need protection.

Thanks!

Bill,

I ask this not to bash or disparage Nolan Patrick, but what do you think about his prospects this summer? What point total (or points per game if he doesn't play the entire season) does he need to reach so that the Flyers resign him? For example if he's still in the 30-40 point range, is it worth resigning him and forcing Frost to switch positions? If he's in the 50+ range, then can the Flyers even afford to keep him based on how much he'd want as an RFA, compared to what they could get in a trade for him. You would think with Coots and Hayes signed long term, Frost could be the 3C and Patrick's RFA rights are traded this summer. Also with how much cap space his next deal could require and the amount of players needed to be protected in the expansion draft, Patrick seems the most logical to be moved for picks/younger players who won't need protection.

Thanks!
- narfmoo12

Trade him to Winnipeg for Laine